1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates generally to a lane departure control system for vehicles which works to minimize the departure of a vehicle from its intended traveling zone, and more particularly to such a lane departure control system designed to control steering of the vehicle at a controlled yaw rate.
2. Background Art
Japanese Patent Publication No. 3800087 issued on May 12, 2006 teaches a lane departure prevention system for automotive vehicles which works to automatically steer the vehicle toward the center of a traveling lane thereof in a first steering control mode when the vehicle is determined to be likely to move out of the lane and then steer the vehicle in the opposite direction to keep the vehicle within the lane in a second steering control mode.
The lane departure prevention system is designed to steer the vehicle rapidly a relatively great degree of target yaw moment in each of the first and second steering modes in order to return the vehicle to a desired heading direction quickly. This may cause the vehicle to be swung greatly in a lateral direction in each of the first and second steering control modes, thus giving vehicle occupants an uncomfortable ride.